Daily WHUFC News - 26th March 2018

Hammers midfielder Joao Mario appears in Portugal defeat
WHUFC.com

Joao Mario earned his 33rd cap for Portugal as a late substitute in a 3-0
friendly international defeat by the Netherlands on Monday evening. The West
Ham United midfielder, on loan from Inter Milan, replaced Sporting Lisbon's
Bruno Fernandes with just 12 minutes remaining, but which time the European
champions were three goals down and had been reduced to ten men by full-back
Joao Cancelo's red card. The Dutch scored all their goals in the first half,
with former Manchester United player Memphis Depay, Liverpool's Virgil van
Dijk and ex-Reds winger Ryan Babel all on target. Former West Ham defender
Jose Fonte played the full 90 minutes. Portugal will hope for better
results when they resume their 2018 FIFA World Cup finals preparations at
the end of May, when they tackle Tunisia, Belgium and Algeria in warm-up
matches.
Elsewhere on Monday, Academy of Football defender Aji Alese was in the
England U17 squad for a 1-1 friendly draw with Brazil in Murcia in southern
Spain. The South Americans won a penalty shootout. With Alese in the
starting XI, England had won the first of two meetings at the same venue on
Friday.

A host of West Ham's senior internationals, including Marko Arnautovic, Joe
Hart, Angelo Ogbonna, Manuel Lanzini, Declan Rice, Josh Cullen, and
Edimilson Fernandes, could all be in action for their respective nations on
Tuesday.

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Rice 'proud' of performance in Republic of Ireland bow
WHUFC.com

Declan Rice admits his Man of the Match performance on his senior
international debut for the Republic of Ireland has left him filled with
pride. The 19-year-old was named in the Ireland starting XI for the first
time for Friday's friendly fixture with Turkey, and although Rice and his
teammates fell to a 1-0 defeat, the defender impressed on his first showing
for the nation. Rice's efforts saw the youngster named Ireland's standout
player, and the West Ham centre-back is delighted with his showing. "I
thought I did well for only being 19 years old on the international scene,"
Rice said after the match. "I was proud of myself. You're only out there for
90 minutes and you have to give it everything you've got. It's a game of
football at the end of the day."
An excellent individual evening for Rice began with the Hammer taking part
in the Irish national anthem and, having qualified to play for the nation
through his grandparents, it was a moment the defender admits left him
feeling emotional. He continued: "If I'm honest, it brought a little bit of
a tear to my eye singing the national anthem and thinking of my nana and
granddad. It was a special moment. I knew the anthem well to be fair! "But
I've come away, played in the game and loved every minute of it. I've loved
being around the team and at the moment I'm fully focused on playing with
Ireland."
Having made his international bow, Rice will return to the Ireland U21s for
a UEFA U21s Championship qualifier with Azerbaijan on Tuesday. Following
this Rice and his West Ham teammates will return to club duty, with a home
fixture against Southampton this Saturday. With the Irons just outside the
Premier League bottom three, Rice knows the importance of claiming a win in
this fixture. "It's tough and nobody likes being in the situation we're in,
We're out of the bottom three at the moment and we have a massive game
coming against Southampton, they're on 28 and we're on 30 points. We have to
go and win the match."

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West Ham star Lanzini targets Argentina improvement
WHUFC>com

Manuel Lanzini says there is more to come from him in an Argentina shirt
after scoring his maiden international goal at the weekend. The West Ham
United attacking midfielder netted the Albiceleste's second in a 2-0
friendly win over Italy in Manchester on Friday evening, curling home
superbly past Gianluigi Buffon after being teed-up by Gonzalo Higuain.
Lanzini, whose performance won praise from Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli,
harbours growing hopes of making his country's FIFA World Cup squad, but
says he will need to improve his performance levels still further if he
wants to join the likes of Higuain, Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero in
Russia. "I felt good, comfortable, at times I could not get the ball, but
those are situations of the game," the 25-year-old told TyC Sports. "When I
went a little deeper I found the spaces, where Jorge [Sampaoli] told me to
be, behind the Italy number five (holding midfielder). This was important,
and I think I'm going to improve over time."
Playing for the first time since losing 4-2 to Nigeria in November,
Argentina were the better team against the Italians, despite being without
the rested Messi and Aguero. And their display was capped by the performance
of Lanzini, who was involved in both goals on his third appearance for his
country. First, the diminutive Hammer won the ball back for Ever Banega's
opener, then he curled an unstoppable shot into the top left-hand corner of
Buffon's net from 20 yards, celebrating his goal with a broad grin and
knee-slide. "We played a good game, at times we saw good football, it was a
great match," said the Hammers star, who also found time to describe his
goal. "It's a ball that Pipa (Gonzalo Higuain) gives me, the defenders just
backed up a bit and I hit it well."
Reports from Argentina suggest Sampaoli would like to see Lanzini play
alongside Messi for an extended period, with the pair lining up together for
just nine minutes previously – on the West Ham man's international debut
against Brazil in Melbourne last June. That could happen on Tuesday evening,
when the South Americans take on Spain in Madrid in an international
friendly that will be screened live on Sky Sports Football from 8.30pm UK
time.

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London Stadium: West Ham meet Sadiq Khan over safety & finances
By Simon Stone
BBC Sport

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has met West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady for the
first time to discuss finances and safety at London Stadium. Khan has been
criticised for the delay in meeting given the significance of the club's
tenancy at the former Olympic Stadium, which began in 2016. Twenty people
were arrested after ugly scenes during the Hammers' 3-0 home defeat by
Burnley on 10 March. Saturday's game against Southampton is their first
match at the ground since.

Khan described the events of earlier this month as "a disgrace" and said the
trouble at London Stadium had been "apparently planned and co-ordinated",
though many West Ham fans have rejected those claims. In December, Khan
announced he was taking control of the stadium after a report established it
was losing about £20m a year. West Ham pay £2.5m annually as part of the
99-year lease they signed, which also signalled their exit from Upton Park,
a decision which many fans now claim was a mistake.

Last week, Khan confirmed the stadium operators - not West Ham - would be
responsible for meeting the extra cost incurred by the demand for greater
security, policing and stewarding in the wake of the trouble at the Burnley
game. A Football Association investigation into the trouble is ongoing but
West Ham have been warned by the body responsible for sanctioning fixtures
to proceed that any repeat will result in them being forced to play matches
behind closed doors. West Ham are 17th in the Premier League table, two
points and one place above Southampton, who occupy the final relegation slot
with eight games of the season remaining.

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David Sullivan: West Ham co-owner 'used club to avoid paying £700,000 tax'
BBC.co.uk

West Ham co-owner David Sullivan used the club to avoid paying £700,000 in
tax, a tribunal has ruled. He has been told to pay back the money after it
was found he deliberately tried to benefit from the transfer of £2m from his
family business in 2010. West Ham and Sullivan declined to comment although
it is understood he intends to appeal against the decision. The news emerged
at a time when West Ham's board have faced protests from fans unhappy at how
the club is run. Sullivan, 68, was forced to leave the directors' box after
being hit by a coin at the club's last home game, against Burnley at London
Stadium. The first-tier tax tribunal heard that Sullivan used his family
business, Conegate Ltd, to buy £2m of shares in the holding company that
owns West Ham. On the same day the shares were converted to "deferred
shares", which were deemed practically worthless and sold back to the
holding company for £1. Conegate then used the £2m loss to reduce its tax
bill by £700,000, as first reported by The Times.
Tribunal judge Jane Bailey acknowledged the "overarching" reason for the
transactions was to provide funds for the club. But she added: "It is clear
from our findings of fact that there was more than one way to provide
funding to the football club and that one of the reasons that Mr Sullivan
chose to provide funds to the football club in the specific way that
transpired was so that the appellant (Sullivan) could claim a capital loss.
"Therefore we consider securing a tax advantage to have been 'one of the
main purposes' of the arrangements."
Penny Ciniewicz, HM Revenue and Customs director general for customer
compliance, said: "Conegate built tax structures to avoid paying the tax
that was rightfully due."
West Ham say 20 fans have been banned for life following disturbances at the
Burnley match on 10 March. Additional police and stewards are likely to be
in place for the Premier League home game against Southampton on Saturday.
The Hammers are currently 17th in the Premier League, one place and two
points above Southampton and the relegation zone.

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Sullivan ordered to repay £700,000
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

West Ham United co-chairman David Sullivan has been ordered to pay £700,000
to the treasury after being found guilty of using West Ham to reduce his
personal tax burden. According to a story in today's Times, a tribunal has
heard how Sullivan used a family business - Conegate Ltd - to buy £2million
of shares in the holding company used to purchase West Ham United in 2010 in
order to reduce his company's tax bill. The tribunal subsequently found
against 68-year-old Sullivan, who has since been ordered to pay HMRC
£700,000. It is understood that he intends to appeal against the decision.
"It is clear from our findings of fact that there was more than one way to
provide funding to the football club," said Judge Jane Bailey. "That one of
the reasons that Mr Sullivan chose to provide funds to the football club in
the specific way that transpired was so that the appellant could claim a
capital loss. "Therefore we consider securing a tax advantage to have been
'one of the main purposes' of the arrangements."

Last year, in April 2017, West Ham's offices at the Olympic Stadium were
raided by officers representing HMRC in relation to player transfers and
unpaid taxes.
Deals under the spotlight included the transfers of Dimitri Payet from
Marseille and Demba Ba to Newcastle Utd, although a total of some 150
transfers were said to be under investigation. Meanwhile Sullivan and his
business interests were also subject to an earlier investigation in 2009,
when a a joint two-year probe by City of London Police and HMRC took place
during his ownership of Birmingham City.

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Irish legend backs Rice
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

Former Ireland star Richard Dunne has backed Declan Rice to be a major
success at both domestic and international level. Dunne, who also featured
for the Irish at centre half was full of praise for the 19-year-old after he
received the Man of the Match award following Ireland's 1-0 defeat against
Turkey in Ankara on Friday night. "I went to an Under 21s game when he
played in midfield and he just dominated the game," Dunne told RTE. "He's
got energy, his passing was excellent and he wins tackles. "Higher up the
field, he has got an eye for a pass and he is that good he can't be a
centre-half. He has so much to offer going forward. He could be a huge, huge
plus for Ireland."

Equally impressed by the teenager's performance was Irish boss Martin
O'Neill. "I thought he did excellently in the game," said the former
Leicester and Aston Vill amanager. " He's played left-sided centre-half for
West Ham, his club, and at this minute I think he's getting accustomed to a
number of positions. I had no hesitation in putting him into the middle of
the field. "It was a man-of-the-match performance and I thought he was
excellent for us."

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Brady going nowhere
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

Karren Brady has told a journalist that she intends to stick it out at West
Ham - despite having lost the backing of many supporters. Brady was in the
Directors' Box for the recent home game with Burnley and was, along with her
two fellow Board members David Gold and David Sullivan, subject to a barrage
of criticism from demonstrators before leaving her seat early. However the
48-year-old stold the Guardian's Simon Hattenstone that she had no intention
of stepping down from her position as vice chair at the club, a role she has
held for eight years. Asked whether the time had come for her to move on,
having lost the support of the fans, Brady replied: "I've never walked away
from anything I've done, and I'm not going to start now. " I've taken every
opportunity, pushed myself in ways I'm not sure I knew were even possible,
I've made the best of my life and career. So yes, I do feel proud of myself.
"The toughest thing about being a success is you've got to keep on being a
success. You have to do the things you're passionate about, that you love.
"Who the hell wants to get to 48 and think: 'I wish I would have, I should
have, I could have done this, I might have done that.' You don't really do
much in life unless you take risks, push yourself and find your passion."

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Lanzini's mystery knock?
KUMB.com
Filed: Monday, 26th March 2018
By: Staff Writer

Manuel Lanzini scored his first goal from Argentina at the weekend - but
could be a doubt for this weekend's big Premier League clash with
Southampton. West Ham's attacking midfielder did his chances of appearing in
this summer's World Cup Finals in Russia no harm at all by netting the
latter goal in his country's 2-0 win against Italy at the weekend. However
he is said to have sustained a knock that could keep him out of tomorrow's
friendly against Spain in Madrid - and, more worryingly, against the Saints
this Saturday. Despite the potential injury concern, Lanzini - who also had
a hand in Ever Banega's opening goal - says he is delighted to be off the
mark at international level. I felt good, comfortable," he told TyC
Sports."At times I could not get the ball, but those are situations of the
game. "When I went a little deeper I found the spaces, where [coach] Jorge
[Sampaoli] told me to be, behind the Italian [defensive midfielder]. This
was important, and I think I'm going to improve over time."

Argentina v Spain is being broadcast live on Sky Sports from 8.30pm (GMT) on
Tuesday evening.

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West Ham's Arthur Masuaku leaves DR Congo squad early amid claims of travel
frustration
JAMES BENGE
ES Sport

West Ham defender Arthur Masuaku is one of a quartet of DR Congo players to
have dropped out of their national team amid claims of "disorder" within the
organisation. Masuaku, Standard Liege winger Paul-Jose M'Poku, Guingamp
defender Jordan Ikoko, and Gael Kakuta - once of Chelsea but now at Amiens -
will play no part in the friendly against Tanzania on Tuesday and are set to
return to their club sides. A statement from the Congolese Association
Football Federation (Fecofa) said that the players "lamented some
organisational aspects... which unfortunately, are neither within the
competence of the Federation, much less the technical staff of the Congolese
national team. "Some have cracked, shunned and asked to leave."
The problems appear to have stemmed from the DR Congo squad's flight to the
Tanzanian city Dar-es-Salam via Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. Fecofa claim
that the country's sports minister Papi Niango did not agree to a proposed
charter jet to take the Leopards to their friendly match. Fecofa will hold
the quartet "accountable" for their decision, which in Masuaku's case means
he will have to wait for his international debut after opting to declare for
DR Congo, having previously played in the French youth setup.

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